Monday, October 24, 2011

Last Friday week I worked my last day at The Patchwork Angel. I have worked there for the last 5 years and have loved it. BUT.... my family need me and I need them. I am still quilting for people, so don't panic girls. I have basically been working 2 jobs for the last 4 years and just can't do it anymore, neither can my kids and husband. So on the last school holidays we decided that my time at the shop will come to an end.

It was a sad time but I also knew this is right for my family. I started to say goodbye to regular customers, but knew I would still see them again, they were very supportive, sad and happy for me. Thank you everyone.

While working at the shop I have had many wonderful experiences, learnt a ton of stuff about quilting, people and this industry and meet some very amazing people.

I will miss :

the girls I have worked with for the past 5 years

my UFO girls I have spent thursdays helping for the past 4 years

all the customers I have helped and meet

sharing the happy and sad moments in quilters lives that their quilts have been made for

the new quilters that don't know just how much this is going to be apart of them and their lives

the excitment, joy and the "I made this" look of quilters bringing in their quilts finished

opening boxes from suppliers full of fabric, maybe the girls will let me open one in sympathy

I will not miss:

working saturdays

Block of the Month paperwork. Love sending them out, just not the paperwork.

cold floors in the church during winter, my toes get very cold and don't thaw out

my kids achievements

the kids happy and sad times

weekends with the my family

The girls at The Patchwork Angel tried saying goodbye to me, but I didn't want to, because I knew I would seeign them again soon, it's not like I was moving away. I routinely worked 2 days a week and would leave my shopping for those days so I mostly was only in the shop twice a week. But since leaving approximately 7 working days ago I have been back in the shop, collecting or dropping off quilts for customers 4 that FOUR times already and I still have another trip to make this week. So they have not gotten rid of me yet!! lol.

At first I thought I might get a chance to quilt some of my own quilts, but this week I don't think so now...

Anyway, thank you everyone for helping find out what I want to do when I grow up.

Friday, October 21, 2011

This is Anita quilts. Designed by Michelle Hill, this quilt is from one of her books. Anita started this quilt in classes with Michelle Hill in South Australia. Now Anita has moved to Queensland recently and had to find a new quilter- enter me.

Let me tell you I was scared to start this one. So much work involved and Anita asked for echo quilting. I kept thinking if she is not happy with the end result, there will be alot of crying unpicking to do.

Anyway, Anita was very happy with her quilt. In fact she took it to a Show and Tell only a few days later with binding complete.

I have since received another William Morris quilt from another quilter - this one is not being echo quilted.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

I have had some fun working on a quilt for Kay of Norfolk Island. I had to post the quilt to her and am very relieved to hear Kay has got her quilt all safe and sound.

Now Norfolk Island is a very small Island between Australia and New Zealand. It looks very beautiful and serene and has a very interesting history to it. It is thought to have been first settled by Polyenesian people then abandoned, then twice a Convict Penal Colony for the British. Then some of the descendants of the infamous Bounty ship mutineers moved to the Island with the Queen of Englands blessing.

Here is a site on Norfolk Island with more information, have a read it is fascinating.

Anyway back to Kays Poppy quilt. It is from Australian Patchwork and Quilting magazine. It was published over a few months. There looks like a lot of piecing involved, but certainly worth the work.

Monday, August 29, 2011

My Little sister turned 30 last week, I thought I had another year to go until she turned 30, but the little bugger stole a year from me.

So I had to quickly make a pressie for her. I decided on the Amy Butler Weekender Travel bag. You can get the pattern from here. And I am very impressed with my talents (this time). I have made this bag a few years ago, and though I love it, I know it is not the absolute best. My sisters bag is still not perfect but it is alot better than mine. She nearly didn't get it, I was going to keep it for myself.

I found the fabric a couple of years ago in Arizona at a sort of Remnant shop. The fabric is decorator weight and cost my $4 a yard, Bargain. I had remnants in several pieces, but was able to pattern match the outside pockets with the bag itself. Very impressed.

I was also able to make a small cosmetics bag in the same fabric for her. I put a chocolate bar in this bag.

She loved it.

I also made a the cosmetic bag for my niece, who also had a birthday last week. Megan turned 19. With this bag I used Tula Pink's new range, Prince Charming and a stripe for the lining. The first thing she said after "Ooh, Thank you", was my favourite colour is orange. My UFO students helped me find the lining fabric, they had such fun telling me which one I should use, usually the other way round.
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It took Megan a few minutes to see the frogs, but she loved it. I told her that, " you may have to kiss a few frogs to find your Prince Charming". Wise words from dear old Aunty Fiona. I filled her bag with hair treatment, lip balm, moisturizers etc and good old chocolate also.

We all had a great night out for dinner at My Thai in Brisbane, great food and great service. The whole restauarnt sang Happy Birthday with us to the girls. Just wonderful, this is just some of us. I 'm the odd one with red hair amongst the blondes

Sunday, August 7, 2011

This is Maureen's quilt.Beautiful!! Rose Star done in Reproductions. I love her colour's and combinations. Maureen always has a great eye with colour.

We kept the quilting very traditional with Baptist/Bishops Fans

( I really want to make a pink and chocolate quilt)

I have started this quilt back here, but in bright colours. Very different look.
Maureen's quilt has 18 blocks, mine will have about 25, I done 4 I think, just a few more to go.

Other news, is that my husband is as we speak on a plane back home to us. He has been away for nearly 3 weeks with 2 really great mates, doing the whole boy thing in America that the kids and I would really not want to do.
They saw Drag Racing in Denver, an Air Show in Osh Kosh, Harley Davidson tours, Nascar Racing in Indy, road trip back to Denver in the 40Ft RV (mansion), Bar Hopping in Vegas and now home. The kids are excited, waiting to see Dad, but also what Dad may have in his cases. I want to see what he has brought home, as several times during the trip I sent the locations of quilt shops he may come across in between boy things. He can have the Washing, Cooking and Shopping back in a heart beat. We all had clean clothes and food to eat, got to work and school on time. I got our bedroom walls and some furniture painted also this week. So I think we did okay.

I pick him up from Brisbane in the morning, after dropping the kids at school (they think a day off from school is necessary, I don't)

But most of all is I have missed my husband and best friend. I am so glad he has been able to do this trip. He is a very good man and deserves to have fun and it wouldn't have been the same with me and the kids. I'm not sure about this talk of them doing it again next year though, the kids may have a say about this I'm sure.

Good night all

(time will go faster if you sleep for most of it, mum used to say Christmas eve)

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Finally, here are most of the quilts I worked on for the girls for the Buderim Craft Cottage Biannual Quilt show. It was just a lovely display of work by many ladies of the group.

Janet and her quilts. I quilted the large jelly roll quilt, Janet made the long skinny wall hanging.

I quilted this one over a year ago, and Grandma had to ask to borrow it back for a short while for the show. Love those scraps!!

One of three I did for Betty. I didn't get a picture of them at the show but will find them in my files before they were bound

This is Lee-anne's, just a beautiful quilts and not just because it is pink. Lee made the quilt, cushion's and pillow shams. I just have to finish the Shams off for her - nearly done Lee!!

Actually I did get another of Betty's quilts, still not sure about the third. This is one of Jenny's quilts that she teaches at The Patchwork Angel

Chris did a great job keeping these pieces in order. This is a favourite of her husbands also.

Now this one belongs to Marlene. This quilt is in the double digits of age. It is now finished and being enjoyed and admired by the Marlene and her nagging son-in-law. This Balitmore took me days and days to quilt. I had to make the cross-hatching and because we live in a semi tropical climate the lines started to disappear before I had even finished all the marking. What a panic I had. But now it is done and Marlene is just so happy about it. Marlene actually came into work the other week looking for background fabric to start another Balitmore quilt (what is the definition of Insanity??)lol.

Looking back this doesn't seem that many, but it certainly felt like more than this, but several took many days to quilt, and when there is a deadline.....

All the ladies were very happy with the quilting and it was my pleasure and privelage to be allowed to work on their quilts. I am honoured by their trust and faith in me, and wish them many years of joy with all the quilts they make.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

I have made just about every mistake able to be made throughout this whole quilt. But take a look at her now. She is not finished but I have to take it off the frame to qet back to customers quilts tomorrow, so it will get back on the frame soon enough.

But in the right light she is a beautiful swan and will be perfect for my room. I will be painting it shortly and changing a few things. I had started to make a new quilt for my bed, then realised it would not be big enough, then remembered I had this quilt top ( I started it about 8 years ago :-0. It took me ages to piece it, then I had to think about how to quilt it. A friend showed my group how to do machine Trapunto, but I being a hand quilter decided to hand quilt the Trapunto parts, plus at that time no ability to free motion quilt on a domestic machine. So then it had to wait until winter so I could hand quilt - way too hot in summer in Queensland - then it has been waiting until I have had time to machine quilt around the Trapunto on my Longarm Machine.

This weekend I have gotten about half of the machine quilting done. I will be unpicking on section but the rest I am happy with under certain lighting :-)

Alot more stippling and background fillers to be done, that in the bright light of day I am not completely happy with but it has been a great experience and practice

What did you get done this weekend, hopefully something got finished for you

Sunday, June 26, 2011

I have finished you quilt and will put it in the post tomorrow. But you did say I could post pictures before I post it to you as it will take about a week to get to you......

the whole quilt

close ups

and the back

I really hope you are happy with it Donna

I have been doing alot of other quilts for the past month or so, but most are for quilt show coming up over the next few weeks and because most of the girls who read my blog are local and the shows are local I thought best not to ruin the surprise for everyone and post pictures of the quilts before the shows.

Hope to be back to blogging again shortly

but I have started another quick quilt for myself here are the pieces. It is from 2 layer cakes